DJI ROMO Local Data Mode Keeps Robot Vacuum Data Offline

DJI has introduced Local Data Mode for its ROMO 2 robot vacuums, a privacy feature that disconnects the DJI Home app from the internet and keeps the maps, images, and other data a camera-equipped vacuum collects stored and processed locally on the device. The feature is available starting today for ROMO 2 owners through a firmware update, with DJI saying it will come to future ROMO models later. For a product category that literally maps the inside of your home, it is one of the most consequential privacy moves a robot vacuum maker has made — and it is worth understanding exactly what it does, and what it does not do.

What Local Data Mode actually does

Local Data Mode is, at its core, a switch that cuts the app-to-cloud link for the vacuum. DJI says that once the mode is activated, maps, images, and other data used for navigation and obstacle avoidance are stored and processed locally on the device rather than in the cloud. That gives users greater control over their data and reduces the risk of external exposure or unauthorized third-party access, according to the company.

There is one important caveat to the “local” story, and DJI states it plainly: when a ROMO is powered on for the first time, it connects to the internet to create a map of its surroundings. Only once Local Data Mode is activated does that mapping data stay local. In other words, local processing is a mode you choose, not the out-of-the-box default, and the initial mapping step still involves an internet connection.

Once the mode is on, DJI says the vacuum’s core functions keep working without an internet connection, even during a network outage. Navigation and obstacle avoidance remain operational, users can start and customize cleaning cycles, and the robot can be sent back to its docking station to recharge while remaining offline.

How to turn it on

Enabling the feature is deliberately simple. ROMO 2 owners need to update the vacuum to the latest firmware that supports Local Data Mode, then toggle the feature on in the DJI Home app under Device Settings, in the Security Settings section. No new hardware is required, and no separate subscription is mentioned in DJI’s announcement.

The trade-off is equally straightforward, and buyers should go in with eyes open. Because the feature works by cutting the app’s internet connection for the device, features that depend on a cloud connection — such as checking in on the vacuum remotely while you are away from home — will not work while Local Data Mode is switched on. That is not a bug; it is the mechanism. Users who want remote access will need to switch the mode off, and users who want maximum privacy will need to accept that the vacuum becomes a local-only appliance while it is on.

The wider privacy system around it

Local Data Mode does not stand alone. DJI describes it as a core part of ROMO’s multi-layer privacy protection system, which covers data from capture through storage to deletion. The layers DJI lists are:

• Secure access: a passcode for quick access, or a one-time code sent to the user’s mobile number for an extra layer of verification.
• Opt-in data use: users must explicitly authorize the capture, use, and storage of data needed for cleaning, including camera, voice, obstacle-recognition, and Wi-Fi data.
• On-Site Photo control: users can turn off On-Site Photo in the DJI Home app at any time. That setting controls whether images of detected obstacles are uploaded to the app for display, and turning it off does not affect obstacle detection or avoidance.
• Encryption in transit: when the vacuum is connected to the internet, end-to-end encryption protects data during transmission.
• No offline uploads: data is stored locally and is not uploaded to the cloud when ROMO 2 is offline.
• Automatic deletion: when auto-delete is enabled, photos older than 14 days are automatically deleted daily, and a factory reset permanently erases all data from the device.

DJI also says users can disable the robot’s cameras and microphone through the DJI Home app, and that captured footage can be deleted through the app. Taken together, the message is clear: the company wants owners to be able to dial the vacuum’s data collection up or down themselves, rather than accepting a single, take-it-or-leave-it privacy posture.

Certifications and third-party testing

On the compliance side, DJI says ROMO devices and the DJI Home app are certified to the ETSI EN 303 645 standard, meet the EU RED (EN 18031) requirements, and have received UL Solutions Diamond IoT Security certification. The company also says that in 2026, TÜV SÜD conducted a penetration test of the ROMO P2 device and the DJI Home app and identified no critical, high, or medium-risk security findings. DJI itself is certified by the British Standards Institution to ISO 27701:2025 and ISO 27001:2026.

Certifications are not a guarantee that a product can never have a flaw, but they do show a level of third-party scrutiny that many robot vacuums never receive. For buyers comparing camera-equipped vacuums, that testing history is a reasonable factor to weigh alongside suction power and navigation specs — especially since a vacuum’s cameras and home map are among the most sensitive data any smart home device collects.

Matter support: privacy does not mean isolation

Importantly, going local does not mean going it alone. DJI says ROMO now supports Matter, the universal smart home connectivity standard, allowing ROMO devices to integrate with compatible Matter-enabled controllers in ecosystems such as Apple Home, Google Home, Amazon Alexa, SmartThings, and Home Assistant. Compatibility and available features depend on the specific platform and its Matter support, DJI notes.

That combination — local data processing plus Matter compatibility — fits a broader shift in the smart home market toward local control. Home Assistant has built its appeal on exactly that idea, and Matter was designed so devices from different brands can work together without every interaction passing through a single vendor’s cloud. A vacuum that can join that kind of setup while keeping its maps at home is a much easier sell to privacy-conscious households than one that requires a permanent cloud tether.

What is the ROMO 2?

Local Data Mode arrives on DJI’s second-generation vacuum line. The ROMO 2 range consists of the ROMO P2 and ROMO A2, which launched with European ordering from September 2026. European pricing starts at €1,299 for the P2, which ships with a translucent base station, and €1,199 for the A2, which uses a more conventional white base station. Both models share the same core hardware highlights: millimeter-level obstacle detection able to spot cables as thin as 2 mm, a LiDAR-guided mopping arm with a 123-degree swing, suction rated up to 36,000 Pa, and robot legs that can step over ledges up to 8.5 cm tall.

DJI describes Local Data Mode as an industry first for smart home products, adapted from a feature the company first pioneered for its drones in 2017. That drone heritage is also where ROMO’s navigation story comes from: DJI says the vacuum line uses technology behind its camera drones, with millimeter-level obstacle sensing and high-precision LiDAR, and the ROMO 2 is described as an AI robot vacuum with an advanced self-cleaning base station and an ultra-wide swing robotic arm.

Why this matters beyond DJI

Robot vacuums sit at an awkward intersection of convenience and surveillance. To clean well, a modern vacuum needs to see: cameras and LiDAR build a map of your rooms, detect cables, socks, and pet accidents, and remember where the furniture is. That map is useful, but it is also a detailed floor plan of your home, and most buyers have had little choice but to trust that it stays safe in a vendor’s cloud.

DJI’s answer is to give owners a real off switch for the cloud link — with the honest trade-off that remote features go away with it. If the feature works as described, it sets a useful precedent: privacy as a mode, not just a policy page. Other vacuum makers will now face an obvious question from reviewers and buyers alike: if DJI can clean a home entirely offline, why can’t you?

There are still questions worth watching. DJI has not said exactly when Local Data Mode will reach future ROMO models beyond ROMO 2, and real-world testing will show whether offline cleaning is as seamless in practice as it sounds on paper — particularly in homes with complex layouts or frequent changes. But as a starting point, the launch is significant: a major robotics brand is betting that some customers would rather have a vacuum that knows less about them in the cloud, even if that means giving up remote control. For the growing number of households building local-first smart homes, that is a bet worth watching.